The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer turned down a request to meet Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during his visit to London aimed at raising support for efforts to recover billions of dollars siphoned off by the deposed regime of Sheikh Hasina, the Financial Times reports.
Yunus told the British daily that the UK should feel “morally” obliged to help his government track down funds “stolen” by the Awami League-led regime, much of it allegedly now in the UK.
However, Yunus said Starmer had not yet agreed to meet him.
“I have no direct conversation with him,” Yunus said, although he added he had “no doubt” Starmer would support Bangladesh’s efforts.
Earlier yesterday, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam came under criticism for claiming that they weren’t able to secure a meeting with Starmer as the latter was in Canada. Many social media users pointed out that the claim was entirely untrue.
Meanwhile, Yunus stressed to FT that he was only after the money stolen from Bangladesh.
UK government officials confirmed to FT that there was no plan for Starmer to meet Yunus at present, and declined to comment further.
However, according to the report, Yunus said the UK should feel “legally and . . . morally” obliged to help Bangladesh recover laundered money.
Yunus said the objective of his trip to the UK was to bring out “more enthusiastic support” from the UK.
Dr Yunus went to the United Kingdom on Tuesday for 4-days official visit, where he is likely to meet acting Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP) Tarique Rahman on Friday, reports Bangladesh Sanghbad Sangstha (BSS).
“The chief adviser has invited our acting chairman…The meeting will be held at the hotel where Yunus is staying,” BNP secretary General Mirza Fakhrul told the media on Tuesday in Dhaka.
